An economic analysis of jute based cropping system in Nadia district of West Bengal

The study was confined to field level primary data collected from two villages of Haringhata Block of Nadia district of West Bengal. The study revealed that return to cash input was found to be highest (2.78) for the sequence jute-ridge gourd-cauliflower in case of farmers having operational holding size less than equal to 1 acre. This was followed by sequence jute-ridge gourd-cabbage in case of farmer with holding size ranging from 1-2 acres which was estimated to be 2.69. It also revealed that although total cost and total return per acre were found to be highest for sequence jute-brinjal-radish, net return per acre was maximum for sequence jute-ridge gourd-cabbage. Again, benefit : cost ratio of the sequence jute-ridge gourd-cabbage was found to be highest in case of first group of farmers followed by the same sequence of the second group of farmers. For all other sequences and for all categories of farmers, benefit : cost ratio varied between 2-3 i.e. all sequences were highly profitable in terms of return per rupee of investment for all groups of farmers.